Thermostatic regulator



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THBRMOSTATIG REGULATOR.

Pressure ./Yea/cifzj Valve.

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E. C. MERRILL. THBRMOSTATIC REGULATOR.

No, 471,182. Patented Mar. 22,1892.

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@y /713' .Afferma/5) A @um Nrrnn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWIN' C. MERRILL, OF ALLEGHENY, PENNSYLVANIA.

THRIVIOSTATIC REGULATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 471,182, dated March 22, 1892.

Application filed March 16, 1891.

To all whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN C. MERRILL, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Allegheny, county of Allegheny, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Thermostatic Regulators, which improvement is fully set forth in the following specication.

This invention has reference to the automatic regulationof temperature in railwaycars, though it`is, wholly or in part, applicable to other uses.

In Patent No. 412,280, granted to me October 8, 1889, I have described a system of thermostatic regulation, and in Patent No. 446,583, granted to me February 17, 1891, I have described certain improvements upon this systcm. The specifications and drawings of these patents may be referred to for a clear understanding ot the nature and scope of the present invention and of the improvements included therein.

This invention is designed to regulate the amount of steam supplied to the radiators by which the car is heated, this amount being controlled by the main valve in the steampipe. The secondary valve is in this case placed in a branch pipe connected with the air-brake system, so that said branch pipe conveys compressed air to said secondary valve, the pressure of the air having been reduced by a suitable reducing-valve. The air-pipe is also connected tol one side of the iiexible diaphragm or equivalent device actuating the main valve, so that when the pressure of this diaphragm or valve-actuating device is increased or diminished by the secondary valve the main valve will open or close more or less, and thus pass a greater or less quantity of steam to the radiators.

While for the purpose of explanation an automatic air-brake system is referred to, it will be obvious that the arrangement is applicable to other fluid-pressure brake systems.- I

The new improvements, forming the subjectflmatter hereof, as well as the best mode Vcontemplated for carrying the same into effect, will be explained in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure I is a diagram illustrating thc application of the invention to a railroad-car Serial No. 385,277. (No model.)

equipped with an automatic air-brake apparatus of the Westinghouse type; Fig. II, an elevation of the thermostat and accessory parts; Fig. III, a partial rear elevation showing the secondary valve; Fig. III, a detail in section of the secondary valve, and Fig. IV an enlarged detail in section of the main or steam Valve. Fig. Vis a diagram illustrating a particular application of the invention.

A represents the steam-pipe which supplies steam from the locomotive to the radiators in the cars in the usual way.

B is the main valve in the steam-pipe, and its position determines the amount of steam supplied to the radiators.

C represents the storage-reservoir of an airbrake apparatus, and D is an auxiliary reservoir.

F is a pipe connected with reservoir D and leading to the secondary valve G, and H is an outlet or Yescape pipe for the air passed by the secondary valve.

J is a pressure-reducing valve of any ordinary construction interposed between the res-l latter, a pressure-retaining valve D', which can be set to open at any desired minimum pressure, say seventy-five pounds. By this arrangement the regulating apparatus d oes not draw any air from the brake system, except When the pressure in the storage-cylinder C exceeds the amount desired for the eflicient operation of the brakes.

The secondary valve Gis constructed and operates as described in my aforesaid patent of February 17, 1891. It is attached to a iexible diaphragm 4, and operates to regulate the valve-opening 5, as obvious from inspection of Fig. IIIR Its actuating-lever M (see Fig. III) is hung from a bolt N, as heretofore, and the bolt is adjustable crosswise in IOO the supporting-frame O of the thermostat, whereby the valve may be set to maintain aiiydesii'ed temperature. In this case, however, the bolt is provided with two limitstops. It is moved bythe internally-threaded tliumb-nut d, tapped into the frame, and has fixed on the end adjacent thereto a hexagonal nut b. lVhen the bolt is moved to the right to shift the fulcruin of the actuating-lever N toward the valve, the nut l) will come in contact with nut a and arrest f urtlier motion in this direction. This is the higli-teinperaturc limit, and may be set to maintain, say, o. On the other end of the bolt is a collar o, which limits the motion of the bolt in the 0pposite direction. This may be set to maintain, say, (50o or lower. By this arrangement the instrument may be sent out initially adj usted to either of two predetermined teni` peratures.

The construction of the thermostat-arms has been modified to produce greater sensitiveiiess in operation. As now constructed a variation of' a single degree in temperature will actiiate their valves, whereas a variation of at least two or three degrees was heretofore necessary to produce this effect.

The thermostat-arms d d consist, simply, of two trussed frames of zinc, instead of one Zinc and one compound arm, as heretofore. These arins are connected at their upper ends to the thermostat-lever e, which is in construction and function the same as in my lastiianicd patent. At their lower ends the arms cl d are pivoted to opposite ends of a small connecting-lever f, fulcrumed in the frame at g, closer to arm d than to CZ', and which increases the leverage. Vhen the expansion (or contraction) of the first arm CZ is transmitted through this lever, the movement is augmented, and a further gain in leverage is effected by the expansion (or contraction) of the second arm d. The arms CZ el diverge from their points of attachment to lever c toward their lower ends, so that the motion of lever f is proportionally amplified when transmitted to lever e.

It is desirable as a matter of precaution to provide for the cutting off of the steam in case of a collision or of any violent concussion. To effect this I connect with the secondary valve an automatic tripping or actuating device, which normally is inoperative, but is released by any violent shock to the car. I have devised several forms of such device, one of which is shown in Fig. II and will serve to illustrate the principle of that part of my invention.

The pin m, connected with the secondary valve-lever, transmits to the latter the motion of the tliermostat-lever c, as heretofore; but instead of receiving pressure to close the valve from a spriiigI use the pressure of an adjustable weight h, carried by the horizontal arm of a three-arm lever n, pivoted in the end of lever e. Its vertical arm bears against the side of said lever c, and this is the normal condition of the parts. The substitution of a weight for a spring to give the yielding pressure by which the secondary valve is held against its seat has special advantages over a spring apart from its function in the tripping operation.

The weight p, connected, as shown, by a chain q with the three-arm lever onrests normally in a cup. A violent jar or concussion would, however, dislodge it, and its weight falling on the lever 'a causes it to tilt in the direction to free the pin m and allow the secondary valve to discharge into the atmosphere. As a result the main steain-valve will instantly close.

I do not claim the use of a ball or weight arranged to be dislodged from its support by a violent concussion, but show this only as a type of means which, while not normally interfering with the operation of thc secondary valve, will come into action in the event of an accident and open said valve instantly to its fullest extent. U

The operation of the system will be'ieadily understood. The thermostat is set up in sonic convenient place in the car, being setto tlic tempeiature which it is desired to maintain, and the proper pipe connections are made, as indicated in Fig. I. The system, as will be seen, can easily be applied to cars already in use. W'hen the main valve B is closed and steam shut off the thermostat is allowing a small quantity of air to pass the secondary valve and escape by outlet lI. Should the temperature fall below the fixedlimit, the contraction of the arms tl CZ closes the small secondary valve and the air-pressureaccumiilates in pipe F, and being communicated by branch pipe II to the under side of diaphragm L the latter opens the main valve A and admits steam to the radiators. When arms CZ d expand by reason of a rise of temperature beyond that desired, they cause the secondary valve to open, relieving the pressure in pipes F and K and so permitting the main valve to fall far enough to diminish the supply of steam to the proper extent.

In a heating system which is extensively used on one of the principal railroads two steam-pipes leading from the locomotive are employed and these are so connected with the radiators and with suitable cocks and valves that when the car is turned one way the pipes serve, respectively, as the supply and the return pipe, and when turned the other way what was formerly the supplyA pipe becomes the return-pipe, and vice versa. It is iinport-ant in applying my improvements to such a system to avoid the necessity of using two main valves and connections. Fig. V illustrates the arrangement to be employed in such case. A A are the two parallel steam pipes, the former acting at this time as tlie supply and the latter as the return. In the cross connectingpipes t t are located tlii'ee-way cocks S S. From the latter, pipes 'u elead to the radiators. In the pipe n is located the IOC ITO

main valve B, and when the cocks S S occupy the positions indicated steam en ters from pipe A through pipes t, cock S, and the main valve, returning by pipe fv, cock S', and pipes t and A. Vhen the car is turned the other way, it is only necessary to reverse the cocks S S,when the steam passes from pipe A to pipe t, cock S, and main valve B, as before.

It is obvious that modifications may be made in details of construction and arrangement, and that some of the improvements may be used separately, if desired, Without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having now fully described my said invention, what I claim is- 1. In a railroad-car, the combination of a pipe supplying heat to the radiators, a fluidpressure brake system, a main valve in the supply-pipe, an actuating device therefor, such as a exible diaphragm, a pipe connecting the fluid-pressure brake system with the actuating device of the main valve, a secondary valve, a thermostat controlling the same, and a branch pipe leading through said secondary valve to an outlet, substantially as described.

2. In a car equipped with a fluid-pressure brake system and with steam-pipes and radiators, the combination of a main valve in the supply-pipe, a pipe connected with the auX- iliary or storage reservoir of the brake system and provided with a pressure-retaining valve, a secondary valve regulating the main valve by varying the pressure in said pipe, and a thermostat connected with the secondary valve, substantially as described.

3. In a car equipped with a compressed-air or equivalent brake system and with steampipes and radiators, the combination of a main valve in the supply-pipe, a pipe connected with the auxiliary or storage reservoir of the brake system and provided with a pressurereducing and with a pressure-retainin g valve, a secondary valve regulating the main valve thermostat connected with. the secondary.

valve, substantially as described.

4. The combination, with duplex steampipes, cross-connecting pipes containing each a three-way cock, and branch pipes leading from said cocks to the radiators, of a main valve in one of said branch pipes between the three-way cock and the radiators, and thermostatic regulating device, such as described, connected with said main valve, as set forth.

5. The combination, with the regulatingvalve, of a lever adapted to transmit motion to said valve, two expansible arms attached at one end to said lever and diverging from each other toward their other ends, anda multiplying lever connecting the ends of said arms and fulcrumed eccentrically between them, substantially as described.

6. The combination, with the main valve actuated by pressure in a suitabley pipe, the secondary or regulating valve in said pipe, and the expansible arms and connections for actuating said secondary valve, of an automatic tripping or releasing device suchas specied, normally held out of action, but adapt-ed in case of violent concussion to release the secondary valvefrom its actuating mechanism, substantially as described.

7. The combination of the secondary valve, the thermostat arms and lever, the Weighted lever pivoted to the latter and transmitting motion to the valve, and a tripping or releasing device adapted when released to, tilt the weighted lever away 'from the valve, substantially ,as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

EDWIN C. MERRILL.

Witnesses:

J. E. PEW, WM. K. GRAY. 

